I'm not really one for pill popping, other than a daily multi-vitamin and a few fish oil pills here and there, but an old post from Charles Poliquin perked my interest and I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. For the last two weeks I have been taking 648mg of Betaine HCl in pill form with each meal, and I can honestly say the difference is quite noticeable. Previously, I'd get the odd bit of burping or a little bloat after a large meal, but since taking Betaine HCl, I have had absolutely no stomach discomfort whatsoever. I actually feel more energetic. It appears the increased hydrochloric acid in my stomach is allowing the food to be processed much more efficiently, and therefore, I am absorbing nutrients better. Can't say for sure exactly what's going on, but all I know is that the difference is noticeable. This is no placebo effect, this Betaine HCl shit works! Here's a link to the Charles Poliquin article which perked my interest and made me give Betaine HCl a shot:

I've been considering trying HCL tablets. They've been around in some form for several decades. Poliquin has a lot of good ideas, but I noticed that the only supplements he praises are the ones he sells. Of course, that does not mean that HCL supplements are worthless.

I'm glad you're having good luck with them.I'll probably give them a try!

Shit... I like NOW a lot, but I just placed an order. It'll have to wait for the next one.Thanks!

The ingredients are pretty much the same amongst the manufacturers. Betaine HCl and Pepsin. The last time I checked bodybuilding had Twinlabs HCl on for about $9 something. The NOW brand also make a Super Enzyme, that apparently has pretty good reviews. Not as much Betaine HCl in their Super Enzyme product, but has several other things that apparently work very well for digestion. Both products have good reviews on Amazon, etc. According to the guy at my local health shop where I got the Betaine, a lot of Paleo folks are on one or the other supplement for digestion support.

i can't find any double blind studies about the stuff... anyone else have any luck? sounds like a simple idea for a supplement but it makes sense from a 2+2 perspective

It's important to remember that not everything (especially in the supplement world) has been given the proper attention with ideal study conditions. That doesn't mean they don't work, but it doesn't mean they do.

Rudee's testimonial sounds promising, but more anecdotal evidence would be nice.I would like to try it myself to make a determination.

i never get indigestion personally... suspect my stomach is making enough acid...

You're fortunate. I sometimes get it from certain foods, and certain times of day. There are a number of factors that could be causing it. It's not chronic or anything, but I like to try to control it so it doesn't develop into a bigger problem.

Supplementation is just like trying out a new exercise at the gym. You need to experiment to find out what works and what doesn't work for you. Shouldn't cost you more than $10-$15 for a bottle. A small amount of money to find out if something benefits you or not. Google it and learn a bit more about it first. You may find you need more than one pill to do the job. If you notice benefits, cool. If not, at least you gave it a shot. Here's the particular product I use (although I bought it locally not on Amazon)

Supplementation is just like trying out a new exercise at the gym. You need to experiment to find out what works and what doesn't work for you. Shouldn't cost you more than $10-$15 for a bottle. A small amount of money to find out if something benefits you or not. Google it and learn a bit more about it first. You may find you need more than one pill to do the job. If you notice benefits, cool. If not, at least you gave it a shot. Here's the particular product I use (although I bought it locally not on Amazon)

Supplementation is just like trying out a new exercise at the gym. You need to experiment to find out what works and what doesn't work for you. Shouldn't cost you more than $10-$15 for a bottle. A small amount of money to find out if something benefits you or not. Google it and learn a bit more about it first. You may find you need more than one pill to do the job. If you notice benefits, cool. If not, at least you gave it a shot. Here's the particular product I use (although I bought it locally not on Amazon)

Hmm... it is eligible for Prime shipping, which wouldn't cost anything. Allstarhealth sells it for $1.33 less, but there is $5.95 shipping. But, that $5.95 is a flat rate, which means if I buy more, the shipping would cost me less. But, that is dependent on how much more I buy. Then, I'd have to factor in total product weight to do an accurate comparison with other shipping methods of other vendors...

I hope you all can see the kinds of decisions I'm confronted with on a daily basis.

Hmm... it is eligible for Prime shipping, which wouldn't cost anything. Allstarhealth sells it for $1.33 less, but there is $5.95 shipping. But, that $5.95 is a flat rate, which means if I buy more, the shipping would cost me less. But, that is dependent on how much more I buy. Then, I'd have to factor in total product weight to do an accurate comparison with other shipping methods of other vendors...

I hope you all can see the kinds of decisions I'm confronted with on a daily basis.